


It Happened On New Earth

by CaptainCoffee



Category: Star Trek Voyager
Genre: A little bit of angst, Babyfic, Canon Divergence, Developing Relationship, Episode: s02e25 Resolutions, F/M, Unplanned Pregnancy, with a happy ending
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-17 14:20:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 1,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29718474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainCoffee/pseuds/CaptainCoffee
Summary: What if a little something happened on New Earth that made returning to the status quo impossible...
Relationships: Chakotay/Kathryn Janeway
Comments: 22
Kudos: 66





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This turned out MUCH longer and a bit more angsty than I planned, but DON’T WORRY! A happy ending is in the cards. This is nearly complete, so I’ll be posting a chapter every other day.

From the moment Kathryn opened her eyes, she knew something was wrong.

To start with, she had slept straight though her alarm-which never happened-and as soon as she moved to get up, a sickening wave of dizziness overwhelmed her, forcing her back.

Sitting on the edge of her bed, she cradled her head in hands, willing the black spots to clear from the edges of her vision.

The dizziness passed almost as quickly as it had come, so she shrugged it off with a deep breath and headed to the replicator, ordering her customary black coffee.

She grimaced as she took the first sip.

It tasted  _ terrible. _

Quickly recycling it, she replicated a second cup, but there was no difference.

Well that was just great.

Now she’d have to spend her evening taking apart that damned replicator again.

She usually wasn’t hungry in the morning, but today her stomach grumbled in protest, so she slapped together a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, cramming it into her mouth as she dressed.

By the time she got to the turbolift, her earlier dizziness had been replaced with a much worse feeling-a horrible, roiling nausea that threatened to overpower her any minute.

Maybe that sandwich had been a bad idea.

She was tempted to stop by sickbay, but being already late to the bridge, she shook off the feeling as best she could.

Seeing a few of the bridge crew cast worried glances in her direction, she put on a smile, trying her hardest to hide the fact that her stomach was currently turning somersaults.

She managed quite well for a while, until a sudden patch of turbulence shook the ship.

It wasn’t serious, they had passed through much worse before, but it had never affected her like  _this_.

Her already present queasiness increased until it was nearly unbearable.

Kathryn gripped the arms of her chair tightly, gulping deep breaths until she felt like a fish out of water.

All at once a horrible, clammy chill ran through her, and she could feel her face turning completely green.

“Chakotay you have the bridge”, she gasped, clapping a hand to her mouth as she all but ran to her ready room.


	2. Chapter 2

What Kathryn didn’t know was that she hadn’tgone alone.

Chakotay-his concern for her outweighing anything else-had promptly turned the bridge over to Tuvok and made a beeline for the ready room.

In his worried state he didn’t even think to buzz the door, and entered to find Kathryn hunched over her desk, one hand clamped tightly over her mouth as her chest heaved with ragged breaths.

He was by her side in a second.

In the two years he had known her, he had never once seen her like this, and he was honestly terrified.

“Kathryn, what is it? What’s wrong?”

Her first name slipped out before he realized, but in her present state she didn’t seem to notice.

“Just a little... nauseous...”

That was all she managed to say before unceremoniously emptying the contents of her stomach onto the floor at his feet.

“A little?” Chakotay asked, gently rubbing her back even as his own stomach clenched in sympathy.

“I’m sorry...”

She looked so mortified, almost in tears, and his heart went out to her.

He would have liked to hold her- murmur comforting words to her as she told him anything and everything that was troubling her.

But he knew that was out of the question.

The self-cleaning carpet made short work of the mess, while Chakotay quickly replicated a glass of water and a napkin for her face, which she took without even sparing a glance at him.

“That’s better, thank you”, she said curtly.

He couldn’t help noticing the drawn, tired look on her face.

“Kath- Captain”, he caught himself this time. “You need to go to sickbay.”

“No, I’m all right-“

“Now.”

She managed a wry smile.

“Is that an order?”

“Please... I’ll come with you.”

She shook her head gently.

“I’ll make it all right. Please don’t worry about me.”

Chakotay tried to smile, even though he was sure he’d never been more worried in his life.

“No promises.”


	3. Chapter 3

Kathryn could feel her eyes burning with unshed tears as she walked towards sickbay.

She had never been more embarrassed in her life.

Running off the bridge like that-what must the crew have thought?

And then being sick in front of Chakotay of all people.

She couldn’t help feeling somewhat annoyed with him.

Why did he have to follow her anyway?

Why did he always have to be so damned worried about her?

What annoyed Kathryn even more was that she loved him for it.

Oh, _why_ did she have to think of that now?

She was already close enough to tears without pining over her First Officer-which she hated to admit had become a habit over the past few weeks.

And just to make things worse, she was beginning to feel dizzy again.

Entering sickbay, she activated the Doctor and quickly rattled off her symptoms.

Guiding her to sit a bio bed, the Doctor began running a scan, Kathryn barely noticing as she put all her energy into not being sick again.

“It could be a virus of some kind, Doctor. I want you to examine the rest of the crew. If any of them start displaying similar symptoms-“

“I can safely say there is no chance of that”, the Doctor interrupted.

“And why is that?”

“Because Captain”, the Doctor beamed. “You’re eight weeks pregnant.”


	4. Chapter 4

_ “Pregnant?” _

No, it couldn’t be.

But yes, there were the tricorder readings.

She saw them plain as day as the Doctor held it up for her to examine.

“I assume this is... unexpected?” the Doctor asked tentatively.

Kathryn brought a hand automatically to her stomach.

“That’s putting it mildly.”

She felt very much like she’d just been hit by a shuttle.

“I don’t mean to pry, but am I also correct in assuming that Commander Chakotay is the father?”

Kathryn stared blankly.

Hearing it said in the Doctor’s matter of fact way, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world, gave her a very odd feeling.

She was having Chakotay’s baby.

Although she had to admit the thought wasn’t exactly unpleasant, it  _ was _ the last thing in the world she had expected.

New Earth suddenly came to mind.

The many nights-and days-they had spent together on that beautiful world free of duty and protocol...

She could feel a blush creeping into her cheeks as the Doctor echoed her thoughts.

“It’s just that, well, the time of conception seems to coincide with the time you and the Commander were isolated on the planet-“

Kathryn tiredly held up a hand to stop him.

“There’s no need to explain yourself. You’re correct. Chakotay is the father”, she murmured, not having the strength to muster anything but the truth.

“What I don’t understand is-how? We took every precaution.”

“It’s very likely that the virus infecting you both at the time interfered with any contraceptive measures taken.”

Here the Doctor paused, then continued hesitantly.

“Captain...I understand that this was unexpected. There is, of course, always the option of terminating the pregnancy-“

“No! I wouldn’t even consider that.”

The Doctor patted her hand reassuringly.

“I didn’t think you would. Well. I suppose this is something you’ll want to discuss with the Commander. Although if you’re reluctant I’d be more than happy to inform him-“

“No! Er, thank you, Doctor. But I’ll manage.”

”All right. Well, for right now, the best thing is to get some rest. This hypospray will counteract the effects of the morning sickness, though I recommend you take at least the remainder of today off of the Bridge. And I’ll need so see you for regular prenatal checkups...”

Kathryn soon tuned out his voice as it droned on, her mind buzzing with hundreds of thoughts.

Managing a quick, false smile as she left, she quickly made her way to her quarters.

She felt almost like she was on autopilot- numb, stunned, unable to process the full impact of the information she had just received.

The numbness lasted until her door slid shut behind her.

Perhaps a second passed before she threw herself onto her bed and promptly burst into tears.


	5. Chapter 5

Her emotions swung from one extreme to the next.

Tears of joy, anger, doubt, and most of all, fear,fell from her eyes, each feeling resurfacing in turn whenever she began to recover from the last.

It was nearly two hours before she was finally able to stop crying-more from exhaustion than anything else.

Collecting her thoughts, she turned her attention to the next matter at hand: telling Chakotay.

A new wave of anxiety rushed over her.

What would he say?

For that matter, would _she_ say?

And how would he react?

She had no doubt he would want the baby... wouldn’t he?

Feeling fresh tears that she didn’t even know she had left, she brushed a hand roughly over her eyes, refusing to give in again.

It was silly, really.

Crying wouldn’t change anything, and Chakotay had to be told.

Getting up with a sigh, she splashed some cool water on her face, shrugged out of her jacket which had become uncomfortably warm, and shook her hair down from its disheveled bun.

Picking up a her PADD, she typed a brief message to Chakotay.

_ ‘Won’t be coming back to the bridge. The Doctor says I need to rest.’ _

_‘Are you all right?’_

_ ‘Meet me in my quarters after your duty shift. We need to talk.’ _

She cringed as she read back the words.

They sounded so abrupt, almost angry.

There was a long moment before his response came.

_ ‘I’ll be there.’ _

Kathryn could just imagine him reading her message over and over; pictured him furrowing his brow as he thought of a million reasons behind it, and she smiled in spite of herself as she typed a final message:

_‘Don’t worry.’_


End file.
